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More high winds expected at Fern Lake fire site Sunday night

Jake Brollier, Public Information Officer on the Fern Lake fire, looks at the fire from the main road inside of the park. Officials are worried about winds kicking up later in the afternoon on December 2, 2012.
The Fern Lake Fire, which has been burning in Rocky Mountain National Park since October, kicked up yesterday and forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes west of the fire.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post (Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post)

Photos: Fern Lake fire

ESTES PARK —Authorities were anxious Sunday night about the potentially explosive mix of wind and flames in Rocky Mountain National Park, where the Fern Lake fire had consumed 3,580-acres and a privately owned cabin.

If wind gusts push the fire into the tree tops — as it did late Friday night and early Saturday morning — residents connected to about 1,100 phone lines could be forced to flee.

Authorities were concerned about the Marys Lake area, about 4 miles south of Estes Park.

"I don't really want to kick anybody out of their homes if I don't have to," Sheriff Justin Smith told a community meeting in Estes Park.

Smith said the worst of the winds — with gusts up to 75 mph — would arrive between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. Smith urged residents to have valuables packed and ready.

"If it was me, and I had livestock, I'd have them out and ready to go," Smith said.

Pre-evacuation notices have been sent to phone lines west of Marys Lake Road, from Moraine Avenue and Rock Ridge Road South to Colorado 7 and Fish Creek Road.

He said once the wind dies down, authorities would have a much better idea of when existing evacuees would be able to go home.

Residents of Estes Park were not on alert to evacuate Sunday night, however. The business district of Estes Park was hazy and smelled strongly of smoke Sunday morning.

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"You expect it to be hot and smoky in the summer, but in December?" said Larry Airgood, manager of The Wynbrier Ltd., a wildlife gallery in Estes Park.

He speculated wildlife in the fire zone would be OK, unless the fire roared across a great distance in a short time overnight.

"The fire has been burning for a while, so they've already done whatever they're going to do," Airgood said.

As with Colorado wildfires last summer, people with breathing problems should stay indoors and avoid exerting themselves, fire information officer Traci Weaver said at the community meeting.

Early Saturday, wind gusts of up to 75 mph doubled the size of the blaze and pushed it 3 miles to the east in 35 minutes. At about 1 a.m. Saturday, 583 homes along the Colorado 66 corridor were forced to leave and remained evacuated Sunday.

About 250 firefighters were on scene Sunday, and "more are on the way," the sheriff said.

A Type 1 team of federally trained and funded firefighters took command of the battle from local authorities Sunday evening.

The fire is burning winter-dry grasses and dense lodgepole pines, but the fire primarily has lingered since it started Oct. 9 by consuming beetle-killed trees in abnormally dry conditions. The fire was started by an illegal campfire in the park.

A critical "red flag" fire danger warning is in effect until 6 a.m. Monday over the foothills from Douglas to Larimer counties.

Windy conditions return Monday with gusts up to 45 mph. Breezy conditions could linger in the area until Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

The overnight fire danger warning includes areas above 6,000 feet in elevation in central and southeast Park County, Boulder and Jefferson counties, as well as west Douglas County.

The fire remained at 20 percent containment, as firefighting helicopters and air tankers were grounded because of high winds Sunday afternoon.

Wildland firefighters Chris Wetzel, left and Mitch Sprague, right, from Lafayette Fire, clear brush and debris from the Moraine Park Vistor's Center to protect the structure just in case the fire reaches the building on December 2nd, 2012.
The Fern Lake Fire, which has been burning in Rocky Mountain National Park since October, kicked up yesterday and forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes west of the fire.
Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post (Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post)

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